The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-15
SOMETHING WRONG.
Little American Girls Are Not Shaped
Right to Try Misses Cloaks.
~. W. -.

Right to Try Cd Misses ClOaks.
New York SUM-
A family OF six sat down to a very early
and very frugal breakfast on the top floor
of a tall apartment house on Fifth street
the other morning. The father, a hard
working mechanic, was in hurry to get
awsy, but, as usual, he took little time
he had Just been speaking TO
his wife about their oldest child, a
bright little fourteen-year-Old girl, who
sat next to him. He thought she was old
enough to do something to help support
the family. Naturally, therefore, he first
ran his eye over the advertise ments, and
be noticed that big cloak house on Broad
way wanted several young girls, aged four
teen to sixteen, to try on misses cioaks."
When her father read it to her, little Susies
pretty face frightened. "Oh, 1t would be
such fun to try on all the pretty closks,"
she said, and, not waiting to finish her
breakfast, she hurried off TO Broadway.
The store had not been opened when she
reached 1t, but q small group of other
small girls was there already waiting.
Some had pretty faces, and some hadn't;
some were well dressed, and some not;
some were large, and some we're very small.
Soon the store was opened, and a clerk
ushered the group up to the second floor, a
large carpeted room, with great mirrors on
the walls, which made all the little girls
think how nice it would be to stand there
all DAY and try on cloaks and look at them
selves, and see what would become OF them.
very soon a tall young man, with
eyeglasses and tape measure,
came out of the office and called
the girls to him. They were all anxious
TO speak first, but he went to each and
asked her age. They all said fourteen or
sixteen. Some looked older and some
much younger. Then the young man
picked out three and measured their busts
and waists and felt of their arms. He
worked very rapidly. 1t wasn't five min
Utes after he called the girls to him before
be said, 81 IN sorry, but none of you will
do. 1 shall have to advertise again."
The girls. with sorrowful faces, were
ushered out, and the young man, turning
to Sun reporter, said
81 don't see what's the matter with all
the little girls in America. l have worked
in similar place in Europe, and we had
no difficulty there in finding plenty of
girls of a correct development. There
must be something in the way of living
here. Those girls were all out of shape.
Only one stood up straight, and her arms
were like pipe stems"
"What is the ideal form for a model for
misses cloaks?'
1--WE grade the sizes according to ages.
The twelve-year.old model should have
30inch bust and 24-inch waist. Of course
all models should be straight, have good
shoulders and arms should not be too
plump nor yet too slender. The bust of
the fourteen-year-old model must measure
thirty one inches, the waist twenty.four;
the sixteen-year-old thirty-two inches, and
the waist twenty-four. The bust you see,
in the perfect form keeps developing
eTsdually, while the waist remains about
the same size. The model for a lady's
cloak with 36-inch bust should measure
not over twenty.four and one-half inches
round the waist. There is a good ladys
model there by the mirrors now"
The young man pointed to tall girl OF
perhaps twenty -four. with Langtry shape,
who was trying on cloak after cloak with
careless grace for the benefit OF buyer.
"She is an old and practiced model, )"
continued the young man." She slips in
ard out of those cloaks with what we call
chic in France. 1t is something more
than grace"
"How much do young models earn?"
From So to Sc a week. They are worth
it. Five hours of the day, perhaps, they
are doing nothing at all, but il is half the
cloak to be on a good form. It is very hard
to get good models Small American girls
seem to be afflicted with too little chest and
too much stomach"
When little Susie got to her Fifth street
home she said to her mother: ut was q
lovely place. but 1 didn't do because / was
too big in some spots and too little in
ofborc